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DeFoe Manor
The DeFoe Manor is the setting of 5 Days a Stranger, the first game in the Chzo Mythos. It belonged to the DeFoe family, having been built by Sir Roderick DeFoe after he retired from adventuring and settled down to married life with his new wife, Belinda DeFoe. 9 months after their marriage, on the 28th of June 1806, Belinda gave birth to twins. The first infant, Matthew DeFoe, was healthy, however the birth of the second infant, John DeFoe, killed the mother. Disabled by grief and blame, Sir Roderick imprisoned John in the Manor's cellar and refused to acknowledge his existence. As Matthew grew he became aware of the "boy behind the door", until his fifteenth birthday when his father drunkenly beat the retarded John with the idol and Matthew tried to bandage him. John, empowered by the idol, became a vengeful wraith, killing his family and all others who subsequently entered the Manor. The Manor was passed to surviving relatives, all of whom were met with strange deaths or disappearances. Most recently, it was inherited by Sir Clarence DeFoe . One year prior to the events of 5 Days a Stranger, Sir Clarence had proven his lineage and begun renovating the Manor. Four weeks prior to 5 Days a Stranger, he and his new wife, Julia Swanson DeFoe, moved into the Manor. They were later found dead, Julia stabbed with a knife and Clarence hanged from a tree. The police dismiss this as a murder-suicide, despite the lack of a suicide note and the overwhelming number of witnesses who say Clarence was incapable of such an act. It is likely that Clarence was possessed by John and killed his wife before killing himself, either whilst still under possession or out of grief. Much of this backstory is revealed in The Mystery Of DeFoe Manor , a newspaper article found in the game. Left empty, Trilby the self-proclaimed 'gentleman cat burglar' enters the Manor looking for expensive items to steal, but finds himself trapped along with four others: the mysterious Andrew Jarvis (referred to only as A. J. in the game), television personality Simone Taylor, earnest student Jim , and the easily agitated thief, Phillip Harty . The event Trapped in the Manor, Trilby and his unwilling companions at first await rescue. A. J. is found dead by Trilby on the second day, his body chained to the bottom of the swimming pool. The four remaining prisoners investigate the Manor's history and discover a number of books on the occult, as well as The secret diary of Matthew DeFoe. Trilby's car suddenly appears in the yard, giving him access to his lockpicks and allowing more rooms of the Manor to be explored. After discovering manacles in the cellar, having several disturbing dreams involving a huge man in a leather apron, mask, and weilding a bloody machete, Trilby touches a strange wooden idol and blacks out. Evidence seems to point to Trilby as the murderer when he wakes next to Phillip's body, dressed as the aforementioned murderer. Simone locks him in the garden shed and states her intention to guard him until help arrives. Trilby convinces her to return his tie (containing his emergency lockpick) and he escapes. He is eventually cornered in the bathroom with Simone by the masked killer, who they knock out and discover to be the innocent Jim. Trilby explains to Jim and Simone his theory: The ghost of Sir Roderick's secret second child, John, needs to be put to rest, as in life he is mentally retarded and relives his revenge on everyone in the house. Using the books on the occult, the three perform a ritual and reanimate John's body near the fireplace. Simone is possessed by Sir Roderick and Jim by Matthew. They destroy John's body and flee as the Manor becomes engulfed in flames. Trilby does not join his companions, as he is reluctant to be questioned by police given his profession as cat burglar. He deliberately lets Simone and Jim think him killed by the blaze. Result After the fire, the events were referred to by the media as the "DeFoe Manor Incident", with many outlandish rumours pertaining to ghosts and hauntings abounding. Various artifacts were recovered by looters, including the rocking chair from the living room, William DeFoe's painting, and John DeFoe's apron, mask, and machete. These objects are later acquired by Abad Chahal and are used by Trilby to instigate flashbacks in Trilby's Notes. Trilby would relive his possession in his dreams, killing Phillip over and over. His depression caused carelessness and he was eventually caught by police, who offered him amnesty in return for his services. He thus joined the Special Persons Project. Jim was deemed a truant by his school, tarnishing his bright future. Simone was plagued by the events that had happened and took to drink, eventually losing her job and being murdered before Trilby could visit her again at the beginning of Trilby's Notes. Trilby subsequently instructed Jim to go into hiding and began to investigate, leading to the events of Trilby's Notes. A flashback showing the death of John, William and Sir Roderick DeFoe is the only part of Trilby's Notes set in the DeFoe Manor. See also * 5 Days a Stranger Trivia Although it has no bearing on gameplay, there is a painting of Sir Roderick DeFoe in the dining room. Each day, this painting changes slightly, from a virile and strong man in a hunting outfit to a progressively older and less impressive man, eventually becoming a painting of a bloody corpse in hunting gear and finally a blank canvas. * External link